The chemical industry traditionally divides the market for the sale of chemicals into: (i) bulk chemicals, and (ii) specialty chemicals. Bulk chemicals are typically manufactured using a continuous-flow process, and the process is continually monitored and adjusted to ensure that the resulting product has the desired chemical and physical characteristics. In contrast, specialty chemicals are typically manufactured in discrete batches, and although suppliers desire that the chemical and physical characteristics of the resulting product are identical from batch to batch, variations do occur. Typically, such variability is evaluated using a “standard” and a “specification.”
Typically, a supplier or manufacturer (hereinafter collectively “supplier”) establishes a standard for each specialty chemical that it sells. For the purposes of this disclosure, the “standard” for a specialty chemical is defined as the set of chemical and physical characteristics that are used to describe that specialty chemical. Typically, although not necessarily, a standard is based on the empirical measurements of a sample of a previously-manufactured chemical. Illustrative chemical and physical characteristics include, but are not limited to, hue rating, dichroism rating, dispersion rating, lightness rating, impurities concentrations, etc. Often, the standard for any given specialty chemical comprises over one hundred different chemical and physical characteristics.
To further evaluate the variability of discrete batches, the supplier establishes a “specification.” For the purposes of this disclosure, the “specification” for a specialty chemical is defined as the nominal range for each chemical and physical characteristic listed in the standard. Typically, an upper limit and a lower limit for each chemical and physical characteristic is provided in the specification.
There is usually more than one testing method that can be used to evaluate any particular chemical and physical characteristic of a specialty chemical. Furthermore, it is not atypical for such testing methods to use different scales or bases for evaluating the characteristic. Moreover, testing methods have, in certain cases, idiosyncrasies that tend to skew the data. Because the testing method used typically affects the empirical data obtained for a chemical or physical characteristic, the specification for each chemical and physical characteristic that is evaluated is associated with a testing method. Table 1 depicts a portion of the standard and specification for an illustrative specialty chemical, “Specialty Chemical A.”
TABLE 1For Specialty Chemical AStandardSpecificationCharacteristicTest MethodUpper LimitLower LimitDichroism RatingMethod 13 MD3 LDDichroism RatingMethod 23.5 MD2.5 LDLightness RatingMethod 33 H3 DPurity RatingMethod 43 P3 THue RatingMethod 53 Y3 BColor Strength RatingMethod 62+2−PHMethod 79.56.5Arsenic content, ppm Method 850Chromium content, ppmMethod 9100 Mercury content, ppmMethod 1025
The supplier evaluates each batch in accordance with the standard for that specialty chemical and relative to its specification. In other words, a sample of each such batch is tested to obtain a measurement of each chemical and physical characteristic listed in the standard and using the appropriate testing method listed in the specification. Using the empirical data gathered from such tests and the upper and lower limits listed in the specification, the supplier then declares whether the batch is “in-specification” or “out-of-specification” as to each chemical and physical characteristic. Thus, a supplier establishes a standard and specification for each specialty chemical that it manufactures and/or sells and evaluates each batch of specialty chemical relative to the appropriate standard and specification. This approach provides the supplier and a prospective purchaser with a means for evaluating the variation in, and suitability of, each batch of each specialty chemical.
This technique is, however, disadvantageous.
Many consumers of specialty chemicals would prefer to have multiple sources from which to buy their specialty chemicals because it gives them the opportunity to price shop and also because it gives them an secondary source for their specialty chemicals. But comparing the offerings of a single specialty chemical from multiple suppliers is problematic because it is the supplier, and not the purchaser, that sets the standard and specification for its products. And the standards and specifications established by any one specialty chemical supplier for its products are almost always different from those established by other suppliers.
This problem is illustrated in FIG. 1A, wherein prospective purchaser 106-1, who is interested in specialty chemical A, considers purchasing specialty chemical A from three different suppliers, suppliers 104-1, 104-2, and 104-3.
Each of the suppliers analyzes the batches of specialty chemicals that they produce in their own laboratories. In particular, as illustrated in FIG. 1, supplier 104-1 analyzes its samples in its laboratory or test facility 107-1, supplier 104-2 analyzes its samples in its test facility 107-2 and supplier 104-3 tests its samples in test facility 107-3.
Supplier 104-1 analyzes its batches of specialty chemical A using standard 1 and specification 1. Analogously, supplier 104-2 uses standard 2 and specification 2, and supplier 104-3 uses standard 3 and specification 3. Table 2 depicts the standard and testing method that each of the three suppliers uses for specialty chemical A.
TABLE 2Standards and Testing Methods For Specialty Chemical ASupplier 104-1Supplier 104-2Supplier 104-3Test Test Test StandardUsed?MethodUsed?MethodUsed?MethodDichroism RatingYes1Yes2Yes1Lightness RatingYes3Yes3NoN/APurity RatingYes4NoN/AYes5Hue RatingNoN/AYes6Yes6PHYes7Yes8Yes9
It can be seen from TABLE 2 that suppliers 104-1, 104-2 and 104-3 use different standards. In particular, supplier 104-1 does not measure hue rating, supplier 104-2 does not measure purity rating, and supplier 104-3 does not measure lightness rating. Moreover, to the extent that the various suppliers are measuring the same characteristic, they are, in some cases, using different testing methods for evaluating the characteristics. For example, suppliers 104-1 and 104-3 use method “1” to measure dichroism, but supplier 104-2 uses a different method. As stated above, even though testing method #1 and #2 are intended to measure the same chemical or physical characteristic, the two testing methods are likely to indicate different values, and, therefore, comparing the results of testing method #1 to testing method #2 is like comparing apples to oranges.
As a consequence, prospective purchaser 106-1 might have difficulty comparing the batches of specialty chemical A offered by the three suppliers. Furthermore, prospective purchaser 106-1 might have some reservations about the objectivity of the test results because each supplier tests its own products. One solution to this problem is provided by third-party testing facilities (e.g., www.worldwidetesting.com, etc.) that offer buyers and sellers the benefit of independent (i.e., objective) testing.
The service provided by a third-party testing facility is depicted in FIG. 1B. As depicted in FIG. 1B, the chemical and physical tests are performed by third-party testing facility 107, which is not owned or otherwise associated with suppliers 104-1, 104-2 and 104-3. Although FIG. 1 depicts only one third-party testing facility, in practice there are many more such testing facilities in existence.
Although third-party testing facilities overcome the problem of the objectivity of test results, prospective purchasers are still faced with the problem of how to directly compare product offerings from different suppliers.
Therefore, the need exists for techniques that enable prospective purchasers to compare specialty chemical offerings from different suppliers.